Last



sept.21, 1937. E. B, GRUSH 2,093,436

LAS T original Filled Jan. 1o, 1934 Figfl.

lll/l Patented Sept. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEv LAST Elmer B. Grush, Beverly, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Original application January 10, 1934, Serial No. 706,087. Divided and this application May 11, 1936, Serial No. 79,014

3 Claims. (Cl. 12-136) This invention relates to lasts and is herein section of the last is the usual thimble hole 238 illustrated and described as embodied in a last having a metallic lining 232 in the inner end of from which shoes may be readily removed in which is an opening 234. Also within the heel accordance with a method and by means of a section of the last L is a valve casing 235 having 5 machine disclosed in my copending application a port 238 in communication with the inner end 5 Serial No. 706,087, filed January 10, 1934, of which of the thimble hole 238. The casing 235 has a this application is a division. The method and second port 240 which is in communication with the machine disclosed in my copending ap-plia duct 242 formed in the last and leading to the cation above mentioned utilize the principle of last bottom. The casing 235 extends forwardly l developing air pressure between the shoe and the from the locality of the ports 238 and 240, and l0 last to urge the shoe off the last and also to diswith an upward inclination relatively to the last. tend the shoe and by reducing friction between The forward end of the casing 235 is open and the shoe and the last to facilitate removal of the is flush with the joint face J, while the rear or shoe. The air pressure between the shoe and the inner end of the casing is closed. Within the l last is obtained by admitting air through a tubucasing 235 is slidably mounted a valve 244. A l5 lar last pin and thence through passages in the compression spring 246 surrounding a stem last leading to various portions of the surface of formed on the inner end of the valve 244 is inthe last. terposed between a shoulder on the valve 244 It is an object of the present invention to proand the closed inner end of the casing 235. The

vide an improved last suitable for carrying out spring 246 thus tends to urge the valve 244 out- 20 the operation above described. In accordance wardly. 'I'he valve is retained in the casing and with a feature of the invention a plurality of air is also held against rotation therein by a pin ducts are formed in a last extending from the 248 which is secured to the casing and which usual thimble hole to various portions of the surextends within a slot 250 formed in the valve.

face of the last and a valve is provided for ad- Normally the spring 245 will maintain the valve mitting air to each duct in turn while closing 244 in the position indicated in Fig. 1. The valve the other ducts. In the illustrated last, which is 244 has formed within it a duct 252'which, when of the two-part hinged type, there is an air duct the valve is in this position, connects the ports in the rear section of the last extending forwardly 238 and 240 enabling air to flow from the thimble from the thimble hole and also an air duct in hole of the last into the space between the last 80 the forepart leading to the surface of the last bottom andthe interior of the shoe. In the foreand which, when the last is broken, constitutes part section of the hinged last L is a duct 254 a continuation of the forwardlxr extending duct having openings 255 at the toe end of the last in the rear part of the last. and adapted when the last is completely broken Still other objects and features of the invenas shown in Fig. 2 to communicate with a duct 85 tion are set forth in the accompanying specifica- 256 formed within the valve 244. A rubber packtion and claims, reference being had to the acing ring or gasket 258 surrounding the end of companying drawing, in which, the duct 254 bears against the end of the valve Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in sec- 244 and prevents leakage of air from between the tion, of an improved last mounted upon a last valve 244 and the duct 254. Breaking of the last 40 pin; will cause the packing ring 258 to push the valve Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the last inV 244 inwardly against the spring 246.- This will broken condition; move the duct 252 out of register with the port Fig. 3 is a similar View of a modified form of 238 thereby cutting off the supply of air to the last; rear end of the shoe. Ihe duct 255, however, 45

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line has an opening 260 which, when the valve 244 is IV-IV of Fig. 3; and in the position shown in Fig. 2, will be in register Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating a detail of the with the port 238 so that air will now be allowed forward end of the last. to flow from the thimble hole of the last into In Figs. 1 and 2 is shown a last L having a the forward end of the shoe. 50 shoe S thereon. This last is of the hinged type rIhe operation of removing a shoe from the comprising heel and forepart sections connected last L will now be described. The last is mountby a hinge I-I. The joint faces of the heel and ed in the usual way upon a last pin, which last forepart sections are denoted by the reference pin, however, is tubular for the purpose of adcharacters J and J respectively. In the heel mitting compressed air, under control of the op- 55 erator, into the thimble hole 230 of the last. A suitable last pin, constituting a portion of the machine disclosed in the above-mentioned application Serial No. 706,087, is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing of the present application. This last pin comprises a tube |88 which is slidable in a stationary sleeve |92, the tube |88 having an upper open end fro-m which a flange |90 extends outwardly. The stationary sleeve |92 is mounted in a support |86. A packing sleeve 'or ring |94 of rubber surrounds the tube |88 and is interposed between the ange |90 and the upper end of the stationary sleeve 92. As is vmore fully explained in the above-mentioned application Serial No. 706,087, the tube |88 is drawn downwardly by a treadle mechanism, whereupon the flange |90 compresses the packing sleeve |94 against the upper end of the stationary sleeve |92, causing the packing sleeve to expand diametrically and grip the interior of the lining 232 of the thimble hole. The last rests upon a rubber gasket E|96 on the lupper -end of the support |86 and surrounding the stationary sleeve |92. The 4'treadle'mechanism above referred to opens a valve which -admits air under pressure through the ltube |88. 'This air will pass through the opening r234, the port 238, -the duct 252, the port 240, 4rand theduct 242, and willdevelop pressure over-a large area between the bottom of the shoe and the bottom of the last, tending to separate the heel portion of the shoe from the last. The airwill also spread into Athe space between the 'shoe upper and 'the last, 'thereby relieving friction. 'The heel rend of the shoe in many cases can be remove-d 'from the last by air pressure alone. Usually, however, it is more convenient 'to-employ just enough pressure to enable the-operator to'remove the heel end of the shoe'by hand `with -little Aif any resistance. In removing the heel end of the-shoe Athe operator breaks the last L :by -downward pressure upon the -sole of the shoe. The breaking of the last will cause the lvalve 244 to be shifted to close the passage vof 'air tothe heel end of the last and to admit air Yinto the forepart of the last, and the pressure 1of the Yair vwithin the forepart of the shoe will g'facilitate removal of the forepart of the shoe in the same Amanner as has already been described with reference tothe heel end of the shoe.

Figures 3 and 4 killustrate a modified form of last L `which may be used in the removal of 'shoes by airpressure'alone, or by air pressure in Lconjunction with a shoe-removing machine. :The last L is of the hinged type. Formed 'in its vheel portion is a duct |64 one end of which communicates with the thimble hole and the 'other end of which leads to the bottom surface of the heel portion of the last. A branch duct |66 leads from the duct |64 vto the -rear end `surface of the last at a locality adjacent to the .last bottom. Another duct v|68 leads forward- ,1y from the thimble hole, and when the Vlast is completely broken, as .shown in Fig. 3, the duct |68 communicates with a duct `|10 formed in the forward section of the last and'terminating through three diverging .branches |12 in openingsin the toel portion of the last. .This arrangement of the kforepart ducts, as illustrated in Fig. 5,

is preferably employed also in the last L, already described. Arubber gasket |14 secured in the forward `section-oi the last is compressed when the lastis completely broken and prevents leakage-of .airfrom between the ducts |68 and |10. The thimble hole vof the last L is provided with a metallic lining |16 in which are formed valve diameter terminates in a shoulder ports |15 and |11 communicating with the ducts |64 and |68, respectively.

The last L with a shoe S thereon is mounted upon a last pin in the form of a tubular rod 88 having a passageway connected to a supply of air under pressure. The upper end portion of the rod 88 is of a diameter to fit the lining |16 of the thimble hole. This end portion of normal |58 below which the diameter of the rod 88 is reduced. Surrounding the rod 88 below and in abutting relation to the shoulder |58 is a short sleeve or ring |60, preferably of rubber, adapted to fill up the space between the lining |16 and that portion of the. rod'88 which is of reduced diameter. The lower-end of thesleeve |60 bears against a rubber gasket |62 which rests upon a support 98 and which surrounds the rod 88. The cone of the last L also bears uponv the gasket |62. The passageway 0 within the rod 88 terminates in a `pair-of radially directed lvalve openings |18 and |19. When the last lL is mounted on the rod 88, one or `the other=of Vthese -valve openings may register with one lor the other of the ports and |11, but 'the angle between the valve openings .is such vas to prevent .both valve openings being `in .register with both ports at the same time.

The last L,as shown in Figures 3 and 4, maybe .used incombination with a shoe -removingmachine yof the `type illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 1,820,952, granted lSeptember 1, 193.1v upon theV applicationof. J ohnWhelton and Aruthur iF. `Pym, which shoe-removing machine has lbeen modified as disclosed in fthe above-mentioned application Serial No. 706,087 'to adapt it to the :use of compressed `air. 'Ihis machiney is provided With a roll 800i rubber which is driven in a direction to raise the counterportion yof :the 4shoe 'S'. 'I'he support 98 above described constitutes a portion of the machine constructed and larranged `formovement to bring the counterportion of the shoe into frictional engagement with the roll 80. 'The machine is provided with mechanism for pulling 'the rod 88 downward -relativelyto the support 98, thereby compressing -the sleeve 0'60 longitudinally and expandinglit `diametrically Iand thuscausing it to grip the interior of =the vlining |16.- The arrangement of `the -valve openings |18 and |19 to the ports |15 and |11fis such that when the last L' is in posi- `tion for the rear end of the shoe upper to engage the roll 80 the opening |18 will be in register withthe port |15. As the shoe is being moved toward the roll, and just prior to actual-engagement, air under pressure is admittedto the passage I0, and thence Ithrough the opening 18, the port |15, and the ducts |64 and |66 into the space between the heel end lof the shoe and the heel end of the last. The pressure between the last bottom and the bottom of the shoe directly assists the roll 80 in removing the heel end o'f the shoe, lwhile the air between the last andthe shoe upper distends the shoe and reduces 'friction between vrthe shoe and the last, thereby facilitating removal. The removal of the heel end of the yshoe tends to break the last L', such vbreaking uually being assisted by the operator who presses VH'down upon the forepart of the shoe with his turning of the last to this position will close the port |15 tothe valve opening |18 and bring the port |11 into register with the opening |19, admitting air through the ducts |68 and |10 and the branch ducts |12 to the toe end of the shoe. The air pressure is thus applied in diverging directions against a plurality of localities simultaneously on the interior of the toe end of the shoe upper, the effect of which is to produce momentarily a considerable expansion of the toe end of the shoe. The air not only tends to urge the shoe forwardly oi the last, but also functions as a lubricant between the expanded shoe and the last to facilitate removal of the toe end of the shoe from the last. The shoe may now very easily be removed from the last by hand. The support 88 is then returned to its initial position away from the roll 80, and the air supply is shut of from the passage HIJ.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A two-part hinged last having a thimble hole in its rear part, from which thimble hole an 25 air duct extends forwardly, and having an air duct in the forepart of the last leading to the surface of the last and which, when the last is broken, constitutes a continuation of the forwardly extending duct in the rear part of the last.

2. The combination of a last having a thimble hole from which a plurality of air ducts extend to various portions respectively of the surface of the last, and a valve for admitting air to each duct in turn while closing the other ducts.

3. A two-part hinged last having a thimble hole in its rear part, from which thimble'hole extend two air ducts leading to the surface of the last in the forward and rear portions of the last respectively, the forward duct being interrupted by the break in the last when the last is in normal or unbroken condition and being continuous when the last is broken, and a valve constructed and arranged when the last is in normal position to close the forward duct and to open the rear duct to the admission of air from the thimble hole, said valve being also constructed and arranged when the last is broken to close the rear duct and to open the forward duct to admission of the air.

ELMER. B. GRUSH. 

